


CaffèLatte

by AloneShadow



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Avengers Tower, Captain America - Freeform, Establish Relationship, Fluff, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Hurt/Comfort, Iron Man - Freeform, M/M, Marvel - Freeform, Marvel CU, Off-screen Relationship(s), Sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-10
Updated: 2016-05-10
Packaged: 2018-06-07 14:22:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,448
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6808726
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AloneShadow/pseuds/AloneShadow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sleep isn't so easy for everyone...</p>
            </blockquote>





	CaffèLatte

**Author's Note:**

> My very first fic! I just love Tony/ Steve, I had to try and write something for them.  
> Sorry for any mistakes. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy and thanks for reading. 
> 
> UPDATE: ** Now Beta'ed by my dear Rainbow_Captain, go check her rainbow works :) **

.-.-.-.-.-.-

"Sir, I believe it would be better for you to stop now."

"Yeah? Why?"

"Sir, you're working on this project for seventeen hours by now, and despite it's-"

"Unbelievable? Fantastic? Brilliant?"

"-momentarily useless, I have to remind you that Miss Potts updated my program to disable the laboratory after eighteen hours."

Tony looked up from the intricate machinery he was working on, raising an eyebrow upward, "Really JARVIS? Who is in charge here?"

"The answer may surprise and disappoint you at the same time, sir."

The inventor snorted, coming out from under the metal cube, cleaning his hands on the ruined and burned jeans. "How long to the x hour then?" He asked without looking up from his incomplete work.

"Five minutes."

"So if I decide to stay here, you would lock me inside?"

"Miss Potts has developed… alternative methods for convincing you to leave the lab."

"You don’t say… Like what?"

"From the reading of Nicholas Sparks audiobooks to oxygen deprivation and a direct call to Miss Potts."

"Oh God no." Tony sighed, hiding an amused grin, "Alright... alright, I give you traitors this one victory." He said leaving the tool belt on the table and yawned despite himself, leaving the laboratory. The glass doors were closed behind him and Tony put his hands on it, staring sadly at the unfinished work, "Soon you'll be perfect, I promise."

"Sir..."

"What? I'm going, don't you see? Let me at least say goodbye to my baby..." 

"Sir, Captain Rogers is upstairs."

Tony raised his eyebrows, turning, "What time is it?"

"Two twenty in the morning."

""Apparently someone's having trouble sleeping... and I wasn't invited to the party." He said offended, climbing above.

Like Jarvis said, he spotted Captain America sitting on the couch in the living room, lit only by the gentle kitchen's light behind him and the mild light town that came from the large windows: he noticed that it was slowly snowing outside.

Tony slowed and even the wry smile became a calm one: he could see Steve's profile, in a simple blue shirt and pants probably of a gym suit... and he managed not to smile too much at the sight of the Stark logo on them only because he noticed the dark look in the soldier's eyes, fixed on the shield that was standing against the low little table at his feet. Tony stood for a moment, staring at the scene, then he composed himself and took a few steps forward, "No porn? What a pity."

Steve jumped a bit, turning to face him. He narrowed his eyes to recognize him in the dark, "Tony? Where are you coming from?"

"From the lab. Seriously, if I have to find you in my house in the dark, at this hour, at least let it be in some compromising scenario." He said going to pour a drink in the kitchen. He preferred to leave the lights off; that semi-darkness was kind of... pleasant.

“You were working?” 

"As always."

Steve turned to look at him, resting his elbow on the top of the couch, "Did you know I was here?"

"I wish I could say yes, but telepathy is not in the magnificent list of my qualities. Not yet." He said, continuing to open and close the cupboards. "JARVIS warned me. After the betrayal." He stood up for a moment and saw the captain's puzzled stare, "Apparently he and Pepper have joined forces to prevent me from working..." he explained.

"It would be more correct to say: in order to not aggravate your physical health, sir." Said JARVIS itself, voice inflexible.

"J, how about you go to sleep now, huh?" Tony said tiredly, looking nervously at the kitchen, "Where is my supply of sleeping potions...?"

"Sleeping potions?" the captain asked.

"Scotch, whiskey, my dear captain stars and stripes. And I could also invite you to join me, from the top of my generosity."

Steve smiled softly, "You think it's wise to drink at this hour? After you've spent- how many hours down there?"

"Eighteen, Captain Rogers."

"JARVIS, you're very, very close from being so turned off right now."

"I doubt it, sir."

"Eighteen hours straight? Tony, are you crazy?" Steve exclaimed incredulously, turning a bit more, studying him better.

He shrugged, "I like my job."

"But without sleep and eat ..."

"It's not the first time." Tony put his glass on the table and he waved another glass, addressing the soldier, "I know getting drunk is not a big deal for you, but Pepper insists saying to be more friendly..." and, to his surprise, saw the other nod. "Wow, Captain America joined the dark side. Finally," he said with a proud smile.

"Not yet. And I understood that reference." Steve said with a grin, seeing him do the same, "And always assuming you find that bottle."

"Oh, I will find it. If not that, another one. So, how come you're not in your beauty sleep?" Tony asked ducking behind the table, out of sight for the Captain.

"I couldn’t sleep."

"Oh. And that's why you brought along your shield?"

Steve looked down on it, "Yeah."

Tony went on, one arm on the table, raising his eyebrows, "Cap. Seriously. I might not have super-genes like you and not even a marked sensibility but..."

"I just- I took it without really realizing." He tried to explain, "I don't know exactly why, but... I took it."

"I can see that, but I doubt we'll be under enemy attack in here, anytime soon, right?"

Steve sighed patiently, "Tony, I don't carry around the shield because I don't feel safe in your house."

"Oh. Well. Great. So what are you going to do with it? A tea? It sure would be easy to read the tea leaves in that..."

The other shrugged, "I probably just wanted to stare at it until I fell asleep here on the couch."

"It is a very comfortable couch."

"Yeah. Maybe can help me keep away the nightmar-" Steve stopped, cursing himself. Tony surely would not have missed that.

"Nightmares."

No, he definitely not. "They are just memories of the past, nothing to worry about..." Steve assured him, "but some of them are not pleasant and sometimes they become very... vivid." Slowly he looked up and was surprised to see the inventor sit on the arm of the couch, almost next to him. 

"Ever thought of taking something to keep them away?"

"Super genes, remember? Kind of useless."

Tony pursed his lips, nodding, "Being a super soldier sucks." He commented and saw him nod before let a hand fall on his leg with resignation. Tony stared at him a moment then said: "Now I understand the shield... your security blanket."

"My what?" Steve stared at him uncertainly and the inventor sighed.

"Your- the thing you carry around with you because it makes you feel safe." He explained.

Steve blinked his eyes several times, thinking, "Well, yes, in a way it's... my security blanket." Then he laughed softly, shaking his head, looking down at the shield, "It's one of the few things that I still feel familiar in this world. In this time." He explained.

"That list must be very long, I guess."

"Oh yes, at least three or four pages. With one thing written on each one." He smiled bitterly.

Tony nodded, then raised his eyebrows, "I have to guess? I like to guess. So: the shield, Peggy... great America still counts?"

"Not sure about that one anymore, honestly." Steve smiled sadly, then looked curious, "I thought you'd guess at least three."

"Three? Two out of three is not that bad... what did I miss?" he asked, standing up.

"Yourself."

Tony slammed his knee against the little table and slipped a curse, having to grab the shield preventing him to fall on the floor, "I think I can quite definitely say that I wasn't present back in your time, Cap." He said turning, finding an arm of Steve standing near: obviously he had been ready to grab him if he was going to fall. And Tony wasn't entirely happy to see an amused smile on the face of the soldier.

"I know, but your father was, and yes, I know you'd rather not have to deal with him in any way, but- he was your father." Steve lowered his arm, "I know you're not him and I know that you are very different, but yet so similar in some aspects... It's just hard not to notice it."

Tony made an annoyed sound but said nothing, rubbing his knee. He realized he was still holding on the shield with the other hand and drop it. "I'll try to take it as a compliment. Being on your list I mean, not- all that talk about my father."

Steve smiled calmly, "Both were compliments. They are." Then he noticed the gaze of Tony still on the shield: he took it, turning the shield in his hands, creating waves of cold air between them, and then handed it to him.

Tony looked at him uncertainly, "Very kind of you, Cap, this will look great with my armor."

He raised his eyebrows ironically, "You wish."

Tony snorted and took it: it was very light despite its size and he knew that it was a metal quite unique; a shudder passed through his back at the thought that his father had probably observed it with the same interest. He looked at the soldier and saw him staring at the object with vague sadness, "How do you do it?" 

Steve looked back at him, "What?"

"How do you handle all this?"

Steve stared at him for a moment, wondering what he meant, but maybe it was just that: just everything. All that had passed, all that was happening since his awakening and the battles that would come in the future. He took a deep breath and said, "Day by day.” The voice was low but firm, “Keep breathing. Keep fighting."

Tony was silent then suddenly the shield fell from his hand, scaring a bit both of them, "Ops, my bad..."

"I don't think it will break from that, but Tony... Tony?"

He slowly closed and opened his eyes, sending them on him, "Hm?"

Steve chuckled, "You're sleeping on your feet."

"No, I’m just... a bit tired. You know, I think you have this soporific effect..."

Steve sighed and stood up, helping him to sit down before heading into the kitchen.

Tony heard him walking around and turned a bit, leaning back on the couch, "Cap, isn't a bit late for dinner? Or early to have breakfast... but who am I to refuse..."

"Don't overdo it. I'm just looking for the coffee."

"Oh, you really know how to get to the heart of a genius billionaire."

Steve shook his head, arms crossed, looking at the brown head of the other as he waited for the coffee, then went to the fridge.

Tony kept his eyes down on the shield in his lap when he felt something near his face and turning his head he found a steaming cup. He stared at Captain America with uncertain eyes, "You have some strange reason for this?"

"What? No, that's- Tony, it's just coffee." He snorted.

"Mh." Still suspicious, Tony took the cup in his hand feeling the heat. He checked the drink that looked and smelled really like coffee. "Why this suspected kindness, then?"

"Suspected." Steve repeated with an offended look.

"You must admit that it is."

"No it's not. No one has ever offered you a coffee?"

"Not Captain America." And Tony only had time to realize that that sounded a bit too much like vague admiration before the slight smile on the soldier's face forced him to look somewhere else.

"You're welcome." Steve chuckled, sitting down again. "At least tell me if it's good?"

Without looking at him, Tony breathed the steam and then swallowed a sip. He stopped and looked puzzled at the cup, then the captain, "Milk."

"Milk and coffe."

"Milk in my coffee?"

"The coffee is there."

"With the milk."

"With the milk." Steve confirmed, patient, "I remember that could make me relax."

"You're kidding me or what?"

"No. I don't know why but, despite the serum, I could calm down a bit drinking coffee and milk. It felt very light, but I could feel the difference because, well, I shouldn’t feel anything."

Tony stared at him impassively for a moment and then repeated "Milk in my coffee."

Steve raised his eyes probably to the roof.

"It's like a heresy, Cap..."

"Drink it and if you don't feel any effects, I’ll prepare another one for you later. Black. Without sugar."

"Oh, Clint and Nat will attend or they will not believe it." Tony smiled, taking another sip that, despite everything, it wasn't that bad but... milk. In his coffee. Meh.

Steve watched him happily and then he noticed the eyes of the inventor fixed on him, "Now what? I’m not going to add alcohol in that cup, I warn you."

"Strangely, I was thinking of something else." Tony commented tiredly, slipping a bit more down on the couch, "It's because of the snow, right?"

Steve looked calm, sparing a look outside where the flakes were still falling slowly. He looked back at him and said, "I told you: not all memories are pleasant." And he looked down.

There was a moment of silence, a calm and welcoming silence.

When Steve turned his gaze back on him, he raised his eyebrows in surprise at finding Tony asleep, his head slightly tilted to one side. He shook his head smiling a bit, removing the cup from the hands, that were now resting on the shield. "JARVIS?" he called softly.

"Yes, Captain."

"Any blankets around here?"

"In the drawer next to the TV."

"Thank you." Steve pulled out a red one, then walked back to the couch: he moved to take the shield but found resistance and saw a hand of Tony's holding the object. He decided to leave it there and cover both with the red blanket. He stood for a moment to look at him, uncertain, then he ran a hand through the short hair of the inventor. Only once, slowly.

Steve smiled and stretched, "JARVIS, I think I will try to sleep too." he said wearily.

"Very well, Captain."

"Ah, JARVIS..."

"Captain?"

Steve smiled walking toward the exit, running a hand through his hair, “When I wake up, can you remind me to replace those bottles of whiskey that I had hidden before?"

"Of course, Captain." Said the AI and Steve could not help but notice a hint of satisfaction in the metallic voice. 

 

End.


End file.
